1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a semiconductor light emitting device and a semiconductor light emitting unit including semiconductor light emitting devices disposed in parallel to each other therein, and in particular to a surface-mount semiconductor light emitting device and a semiconductor light emitting unit including the surface-mount semiconductor light emitting devices arranged in parallel to each other therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6 shows a semiconductor light emitting device, which is described, for example, in JP-A-8-306962. In the semiconductor light emitting device, a semiconductor light emitting element 13 is provided on a bottom surface of a base portion 12 having a recessed cup-shaped portion 11. In other words, the semiconductor light emitting element 13 is disposed on a bottom surface of the cup-shaped portion 11. The cup-shaped portion 11 is filled with a resin 14. An electrode of the semiconductor element 13 is electrically connected to a lead terminal 15 led out from the base portion 12. As shown in FIG. 6, in the semiconductor light emitting device, the lead terminals 15 are led out from a pair of opposing side surfaces of the base portion 12 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view.
In the above-described semiconductor light emitting device, the lead terminals 15 is led out in the direction separating from the base portion 12, which increases a mount area of the semiconductor light emitting device. In recent years, a light emitting unit including a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices arranged in parallel to each other is used as a light source for back lighting such as a liquid crystal display television. In such a case, an increase in the mount area of a semiconductor light emitting device increases the size of the light source. Further, when a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices are arranged in parallel along a direction in which the lead terminals 15 extends, portions which no light emitting occur between adjacent semiconductor light emitting devices, in addition to an increase in the mount area described above. Therefore, when a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices are disposed in parallel to each other, these devices will be disposed in the direction from which the lead terminals 15 are led out, wherein there is a restriction in the disposing direction of the semiconductor light emitting devices.